Poems and Lyrics

 

Costa Brava Beach Poems

Gift for the Sea God
July 17, 2023

Sea gods demand salt offerings
For the bounties they provide
A gift of simple gratitude
For their turning of the tides

Of course, I’m happy to oblige
I’m a guest in their world wet
So here it is, my gift to you
Take the salt out of my sweat

But now your winds whip up the waves
Whitecaps crash upon the shore
Gods call out, “That’s not enough!
We want salt, give us more!”

And then by chance, my second daughter
Underwater scrapes her knee
Drops of blood so red emerge
And mix their salts into the sea

Surely this should satisfy
A sacrifice beyond mere needs
And yet I fear we’ve only stoked
The hungry gods’ taste for greed

And thus, I offer up myself
A part of me I’ll give freely
A salt from deep inside my being
I give to you…my pee-pee


La Sardana
July 17, 2023

Play your nasally music
Not in the concert hall
But in the town square

Play your nasally music louder
People will gather in circles
Move their feet to ancient rhythms

Play your nasally music faster
People will bounce to your beat
Hands raised in joy

Play our nasally music together
With brass and three-stringed bass
Tiny flute and drum trilling in another round

Play your nasally music
Dance, dance your gentle motions
Bounce, bounce arms raised high

La Sardana


My Kingdom for a Pencil Sharpener
July 13, 2023

I use Ticonderoga No. 2s

I started my pencil habit as a young cub reporter
On the St. Louis beat
A grizzled old timer told me to avoid pens
“Pencils won’t free up in the winter”

Sound advice

But my pencil affection developed earlier in life
As schoolboys we loved nothing more
Than asking the teacher if we could
Sharpen our pencils

It was the perfect excuse to get up from our desks
We’d stand at the wall-mounted sharpener
Grinding our pencils down to needle-point perfection
Taking pride in who could write with the smallest nub

This brings me to my current dilemma
Pencils need sharpeners – I don’t have one
I’m left scrambling for alternatives
Scraping it on a rock
Whittling it with a serrated paring knife

Oh, my kingdom for a pencil sharpener


FISH I
July 13, 2023

Best investment you can make
A good quality snorkeling mask

Suction it into place
And enter a world of magical beings

Creatures that breathe under water
Creatures that float motionless in space
Creatures with iridescent silver skin
Creatures with yellow stripes from head to toe
Creatures big, creatures small

Going about their business
Nibbling at a meal on the rocks
Moving through fields of white daisy seaweed
Ignoring their shelled brethren affixed to the rock like cement
Avoiding spiky urchins hiding among the rocks

Snorkeling transports you to a magical world of fish


FISH II
July 13, 2023

I seldom ate fish or seafood as a boy growing up in 1970s Michigan
The occasional McFish sandwich
The occasional Red Lobster visit

Fish was not the dish
Back in 1970s Michigan

Sometimes my mom would make fish at home
Filling the house with fishy smells
Filling me dread
Slumped at the table, taking a tentative bite
Inevitably a thin bone getting stuck in my throat

Ack…this is why I don’t like fish, I’d complain

This was not the case with my Catalan wife
Fish in Barcelona is a thing of pride
The Mediterranean Sea is filled with fish
Blissfully unaware of how delicious they taste

Prepare it simply with

Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Garlic
Onions
Oregano

I’ve been married for nearly 30 years.
I eat a lot of fish these days


Sting
July 12, 2023

Ouch, why did you do that?
I was just passing through
Minding my own business
What did I do to you?

My leg now throbs
Sharp waves of pain
And yet you still buzz ‘round my face
Challenging me to go again

Get away from me
Come on now, shoo
Don’t test your luck
I’ll smash you to brown goo

I hobble home
Pain slowly subsides
Your poison dissipates
Throughout my insides

How strange this small creature
Furious at trifling things
But when he comes your way
Beware of his sting


Little Green Umbrella
July 12, 2023

There’s nothing like
The shade of a tree
Except the shade
Of my little green umbrella


Potato Chips
July 11, 2923

I’m a potato chip connoisseur

As others may discern fine wines
Pass judgement on Italian operas
Discuss the comparative merits of
Kobe beef versus Argentine beef

I know potato chips

So here is my learned verdict
Catalan potato chips are the best
Especially Frit Ravich Autenticas Caseras

Buy some now!


Ants I
July 11, 2023

Ant Scout No. 753012 finds a crumb
Proudly he carries it back and forth
Anticipating the grand meal ahead

Ant Scout No. 827314 confronts
Ant Scout No. 753012 hungry

The two Ant Scots engage
Pulling, tugging, fighting
Each wanting the prize

Ant Scout No. 827314 overpowers
Ant Scout No. 753012
Scurries away with his ill-gotten booty

Ant Scout No. 753012 runs in circles
Angry, dejected, stomach empty


Ants II
July 11, 2023

Eating outside on the patio
Enjoying olives and cheese tapas
Lost in the flavors of Catalonia

Then…

I feel a crawling sensation on my feet

Look down…

Ants!

Hundreds of them swarming up my leg

Yikes!

Up I stand
Brush, brush, brush
Move the table, look for the source

There is it, a small sandy mound between two tiles

Think!

Fill bucket with water
Toss! Woosh!
Water and ants flow downhill into the garden.
One more bucket for good measure

Back to my tapas


Tattoos
July 11, 2023

Costa Brava – land of tattoos

Delicate ones grace
Ankles, wrists, shoulders

Killer ones cover
Arms legs, backs, bellies

Super killer ones creep up
Necks, cheeks foreheads

Who am I to judge

Still, I prefer a clean canvas
On which to paint my imaginations


Beach
July 10, 2023

A trillion grains of sand push through my toes
Creeping up my ankles
Feet sink in the shifting ground
I leave a trail of circles

Searching for an open spot
Where other humans are but few
I find a place and stake my claim
Where I can lay, enjoy the view

But what is this? Another soul
On a mission just like mine
He drops his gear in front of me
Now all I see is his behind

To move or stay, the question nags
When perfection is but out of reach
It’s a choice I often face
On my visit to the beach

How I Want to Go 
Neal Learner, October 2022 

He wobbled on the risers 
My elderly section-mate 
We exchanged glances 
I observed his coming fate 

What’s happening here? 
In middle of this song 
He’s not looking well 
But the show must go on, right? 

More wobble, I reach out 
But over he falls 
The music is stopped 
An ambulance called 

We carry him off stage 
Singers exit too 
Let’s pause for a moment 
This moment we’ll get through 

Then suddenly he awakes 
His faint was but brief 
The news is announced 
To sighs of audience relief 

Back on stage we file 
The concert resumes 
We’re still somewhat shaken 
By feelings of averted doom 

Yet strangely we’re energized 
We soar on the tune 
Our voices alive 
Our passions consumed 

Making music together 
This beautiful sound 
Nothing compares 
It’s a human noise quite profound 

I think of what happened 
As I’m lost in melodic flow 
When it’s my time to die 
While singing…is how I want to go

First Love
N. Learner – 2021    

I stand by the wall 
Of the junior high dance
Trying to look tall
Cool and advanced

There ‘cross the room
She moves with such grace
I catch a smile on her face

My friends punch my arm
Tell me to move it
Build up some courage 
Go out and prove it 

I’m not afraid
I’m not a weakling
I can act on my feelings

I take a deep breath
And walk ‘cross the room
Her friends start to giggle
Her cheeks start to bloom
I ask her to dance
My palms start to sweat
To my joy…she says yes

She says yes!

To the dancefloor we go
I take her hand there
The music turns slow
For a moment we stand and stare

Then she grips my arms
I hold her waist
We lock in an awkward embrace

Slowly we sway
To the beat of the song
I pull her in close
My heart beats along
I give her a squeeze
We’re on the same track
To my joy…she squeezes back

She squeezes back!

The dance is a blur
Of music and light
Before I realize 
It’s the end of the night

I look in her eyes 
She looks deep in mine
We’re reading each other’s minds

Soon we must go
But there’s one more thing
I must let her know
Of what I am feeling
I open my lips
But words can’t say this
To my joy…we kiss

We kiss!

We KISS!

Oh, there’s nothing above
Pure first love
 

What is a Word?
N. Learner – 2020    

What is a word?
W-o-r-d
Wooo-rrrr-ddd

Palabra
Mot
Wort
Kotoba
Zi

What is a word?
These sounds that emerge 
From an orifice 
At the center of a round mass
Atop a structure of animated flesh and bone

“Word”

Say it over and over, and it sounds ridiculous

Word, word, word, word…

But add another burst of acoustic energy
With similar inflection and tone
And something magical happens:

Word
Bird

Ah, a rhyme

It tickles the ear in a most delightful way

I heard the bird’s word 
From the tree sweetly singing
Its song took me back
To my carefree upbringing
Playing ‘til dinner
In the woods by the river
Feeling the breeze
Through the trees all a quiver
Yes, I heard the bird’s word
Inside me, something stirred

What is a word?

Dogs bark
Wolves howl
Cats meow
Whales sing
Humans write poems


PEACE!
Neal Learner, March 2022

What are these scenes
That flash ‘cross my screen
Destruction, fire and fear
My senses enraged
In this day and age
We still face the tip of a spear

How can it be?
This unleashing of cruelty
Designs of a mad lunatic
Casually he kills
Turning cites to meat mills
Carried out by sniveling bootlicks

CHORUS
Tell me why
Bombs yet fall from skies
When will the gunfire cease?
We’ve come unwound
Families huddle underground
People longing for peace

Forces of hate
Threats to escalate
Launch the unspeakable missile
How it all ends
Of this one man who rends
All that is decent and civil

CHORUS

Fabric that drapes
Us naked apes
Stand apart from those on all fours
But bloodlust we taste
Through our history debased
Once again, men lead us war

CHORUS


Caught in the Moonlight
N. Learner - 2021

Sun shines on my head
I bask in its rays
I start turning red
Still I love those summer days 

But when I’m feeling cool
And everything’s all right
I know where I am, baby
I'm caught in the moonlight

Caught in the moonlight where my dreams take flight
A beacon to pull me in the stary night
Where it will take me I only can guess, it’s out of sight

Days are for action
Running on sunbeams
At the beach we are splashin’
With laughter and screams

But when the sun finally sets
And dark fills the skies
That’s when I await
The big moon to rise

Caught in the moonlight where my dreams take flight
A beacon to pull me in the stary night
Where it will take me I only can guess, it’s my delight

Nights are for dreaming
Round campfires with singing
Stars up on high
Chasing fireflies

There’s magic in the moon
When it waxes and wanes, no one’s immune
It pulls in the tide, it has a dark side  
Makes ya swoon
You can’t avert your gaze
When you see it pass through every phase
Its power over us, you just can’t fight
Caught in the moonlight 

Looking for something new
Under the sun 
But over the moon 
Up there it’s more fun

My mind starts to wander
Imagination ignites
That’s when I know, baby,
I'm caught in the moonlight


What Was Lost
N. Learner - 2021


I lost a chance
Many years ago
Had a moment in time
But the window closed
What could have been?
I’ll never know
Lost in the past
Lost in the flow

With friends we’d conspire
Sitting ‘round late at night
To take center stage
To bask in the spotlight
Our lives were filled
With beautiful songs
Knew all the words
We sang out strong

With no room for doubt, we’d take on the world
Climb to the top on ambition
We saw the prize, though stars in our eyes
A future as musicians

Then one by one
We left that time and place
Followed down a worn path
We played it safe
The passions dimmed
Became our hobbies
We took on day jobs
The past turned foggy

So, what was lost?
Perhaps my nerve
What was gained?
A life well served
When all is told
It’s a basic truth
What was lost
…our dreams of youth



A Ghost Is Following Me
N. Learner - 2020

A ghost is following me
But I’m not scared
He’s not unlike me…
Middle aged, middle soft
We don’t care

I know this ghost
His kind eyes and smile 
Once warmed 
My heart

His gentle laugh  
Calm aura 
In the daily storm
Were safe harbor 

This ghost and I are not so different
Looking at our lives
And the meaning of it all
But now I’m left with new questions
Why, my friend, did you not call?

Who will bring us tangerines and cherries?
Who will share the stories of the bands that we both knew?
What kind of pain did carry?
Was there something more that we could do?

A ghost is following me
But I’m not scared
He’s not unlike me…
Middle aged, middle soft
We don’t care

I know this ghost
His kind eyes and smile 
Once warmed 
My heart 

I’ll take this ghost
He follows my tracks
Yes, I’ll take this ghost 
But what I really want 
Is the human back

 


Little Celebrations
N. Learner – 2018

Big celebrations 
Are fine
Weddings, birthdays, graduations
All are genuine

But little celebrations, 
Don’t overlook
Those small victories, 
In which you partook

You know:

Cashing your pay – yay
Going outside to play – yay
Making it to Friday – yay
Avoiding the cliché – yay
Doctor saying, “you’re okay” – yay
Basking in the sun’s ray – yay
Taking in a cabaret – yay
Drinking cabernet – yay 
Riding the railway – yay
Sailors shouting, “anchors away” – yay 
Eating lemon sorbet – yay
Not scuffing the parquet – yay
Jumping in a stack of hay – yay
Winning at croquet – yay
Dancing to reggae – yay
Meeting someone named Jose – yay
Riding in a one-horse open sleigh – yay 
Sitting on the dock by the bay – yay
Finding lots of words that end with “ay” – cool

So mark your milestones with Champaign toasts
Raise a glass to the best and most
What I find most worthy and great 
Are the small moments in life…these I celebrate  
 


Bullies in the School
N. Learner – 2019 

There are bullies in the school
Who make up the rules
About what it means 
To be cool

From their confident grins
To the tilt of their chins
They know who’s out 
And who’s in

They saunter down the hall
Unnaturally tall
Looking down on 
The rest of us oddballs

They never feel fright
With a laugh, they’re always right
They play to perfection
Cool kid stereotype

For us insecure souls
Still learning our roles
We see an unattainable goal

‘Cuz I’m zero on the scoreboard
I’m totally awkward 
No one tells me, 
Baby, you’re adored (besides my parents)

When they pass out the invites
My name’s nowhere in sight
Once again
I’m alone Saturday night

I want to engage
Be more chill, turn the page
But I can’t, and my feelings 
Turn to rage

So, I lash out online
Bare my soul, speak my mind
And my words are 
Out there to find

Alas, those verbal bombs
Are shared with the moms
Who express alarm, concern
And great qualms

I’m totally ostracized 
Forbidden to socialize
With the cool kids, who 
Now I despise

But that’s okay…I’m aware

The years pass along
Each day I grow strong
Learn to love who I am,
Carry on

Now, out of my youth
I see clearly the truth
That childhood’s not meant to 
Be smooth

Be different, be queer
Be a little bit weird
Be yourself 
You’ll have nothing to fear

Through school we must navigate
But eventually we graduate
Don’t let bullies…
Determine your fate
 


Coat of Dreams
N. Learner – 2018 

Wind the bobbin
Thread the needle 
Lay the cloth
Across the table

Take this pattern
Pin it tight
Smooth the edges down
Make it fit right

Touch with care
Measure twice
Sew with purpose
Cut precise

Button up against the cold
In this garment you can grow old
Add a scarf around your neck
It’s everything that you’d expect

To keep you warm
Keep you dry
With pockets deep
Where hands reside

It is strong
With sturdy seams 
Made to last forever
Your coat of dreams
 


 


Lessons Learned
N. Learner – 2019 

When I was young
I used to be smart
Understood the world
Could play my part…

Son, brother, student, lover, 
husband, father, worker, boss

Life was concise
We knew the facts
Knew right and wrong
Virtue from vice…

Health, wellbeing, love, respect, 
debauchery, deception, denial, deflect

The path was clear
History on track
Our prospects bright
No looking back

Freedom, democracy, walls coming down
Human rights, technology, a global boomtown

And then things changed
The world fell apart
Foundations cracked
Smashed the apple cart…

Endless war, mass shootings, hatred, blame 
Terrorism, global warming, walls going up, shame

Always getting better?
History’s long view?
Always progressing?
This just wasn’t true

I used to be carefree
Now I’m concerned
I so look back on
Lessons learned…

Progress isn’t linear
Things can go bad
Things could be worse
Things have been worse
Things can get better
Things will get better
 


Hurricane Florence
N. Learner – 2018 
 
Like a giant scoop of whipping cream 
Mega clouds swirl around a greedy eye   
Dripping wet globs at race-car speeds
This enormous confection of uncertainty 
Inches forward to determine our fate
 
Well coifed men and women move about our screens
Warning all who listen of the coming mess
Millions take heed, move to higher ground
Tough guys ride it out
Muttering to themselves, “it’s never as bad as they say”
 
Others sweep into frantic action, frantic stores
Rolling through aisles in a giddy dance of disaster
Sedate suburbanites tingle at the possibility of something 
Big, bad and dangerous headed their way 

Category 4? - Wimpy
Bring on Category 11!
 
Shelves clear of milk, bread, pasta, wine, batteries, candles, 
Water, beer, toilet-paper, canned food, cat food
Dog food, baby food, more wine
 
Where will you be when the big one hits?
It’s coming, this hurricane with the gentle, granny name Florence
Will we survive? Will our wifi work?
 


Things Are Breaking
N. Learner – 2021 

I walk through the fire
Breathe in the smoke
Trees burn like matches
On hot air I choke

Things are breaking
Down in this world of our making

I walk through the downpour
Swept in the flood 
Homes fill with water
I step through the rock and mud

Things are breaking
Down in this world of our making

I look all around me
Past one point five degrees
When all comes crashing down
Where will we flee?
Where is the rain?
Why so much rain?
Can we ever make this
Whole again?

When deep wells run dry
And grain starts to wither
When shorelines go under
And streets turn to rivers

Things are breaking down 
In this world of our making

I long for the tall trees
I long for a cool breeze
I long for endless possibilities
I long for tranquility
I once longed for days of 
Calm across globe 
Now all I long for…
Is hope 
 


Begin Again
N. Learner – May 2019

With coffee strong 
I’m primed for progress
I plunge in head-long
Can taste success

From start to end
This task at hand
I will complete
It will be grand

And then I pause – what’s that?
A stomach twitch?
My hunger grows
I’ll make a sandwich

But now I have 
A thirst to quench
I’ll drink my soda
On this park bench

This day is long
The shadows grow
Time slips by
Where did it go

Once again
Is it my fate?
To dilly-dally 
Procrastinate

My project sits
To my chagrin
I’m left no choice
But to…begin again
 


Hot and Cold Love Affair
N. Learner – 2019

His breath steams in the driving sleet 
Blazing a trail through the snow, he reaches his destination covered in icicles
Inside, a toasty room awaits, illuminated by a crackling fireplace 
Rubbing his frozen hands together, he slowly thaws out
A band sizzles on stage, the guitarist playing a smoking solo
Music sparks his interest, but he has other fish to fry

Then he sees her, the fiery woman of his fevered dreams 
She runs a finger slowly down the frosty glass
He approaches cautiously, his self-esteem on thin ice
He’s been burnt before by an old flame

Hello, he says with all the coolness he can muster
Hello, she responded with a sultry purr
Chills run down his spine, his chest ignites

Is it me, or is it hot in here? he asks
She gives him an icy stare
He freezes in place
Then she smiles warmly, her eyes alit
Yes, I’m about ready to melt

Let’s skate out of here, shall we?, he proposes
Yes, let’s blow this popsicle stand, she responds
The woman slides into her coat, a layer of body heat to rebuff the wind
The man puts on his hat, a layer of wool to foil the nippy blast ahead

Arm in arm, they exit into the bitter night air
And enter into a torrid love affair
 


Perfect Day in Del Ray 
N. Learner – 2016

Got out of bed this morning
The sun is shining bright
Drank down two cups of coffee
Oh yeah, I’m feeling right

I know just what I’m going to do
Take a stroll down the Avenue

I head out down the sidewalk
I see the flowers grow
I pass the morning joggers
I pass the bungalows

The picture here is all complete
Walking down the back streets

All is good – in my neighborhood
It’s a perfect day – in Del Ray

I make it to Mt. Vernon
The shops are trim and spruce
The scene is like a postcard
Check out our red caboose

We used to be a dusty old railway yard
Now we’re on the vanguard 

All is good – in my neighborhood
It’s a perfect day – in Del Ray

Kids and dogs and frozen custard
Yoga moms and guys with long beards
Wine and cheese, and gourmet Tex-Mex
Our street fairs, they the best
Farmers market, fancy hats
Recycling our table scraps
The pharmacists 
They even know your name

Our music school and coffee shops
The hardware store is down the block
The sidewalk café’s always filled
We even have an artist guild
So come on down and make it fast
Our neighborhood is unsurpassed
You’re welcome here to spend some time
Hurry now, come on don’t delay… 

Del Ray

It feels just like the old days
Where neighbors say hello
Kids walk and bike to school
Barbeque on patios

We’re a village outside a town, outside 
A big city – we’re very pretty

All is good – in my neighborhood
It’s a perfect day – in Del Ray
 


Spiders
N. Learner – 2018

The tingles you send down my spine
Darting across the floor on eight hairy legs 
Almost as unnatural as slithering along without any
Strange creature, you

Still, I do admire your construction skills 
A home of fine silk
Stronger than iron
Glistening in the morning dew
Geometrically balanced

Outdoors, you’re okay
Eating mosquitoes, flies and other unsavories
Inside, it’s another story

Let’s agree to some ground rules
I won’t squash you into a sticky blob
If you don’t climb into my bed
And bite me on the neck

So go about your arachnid ways
Spinning your web
Viewing the world through eight beady eyes 
Just do it in your world, please

Spiders!